After Sordo plays his team

Defending World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb leads the Rally de Espana this evening and remains on course to rack up a fifth consecutive win on this event when the third and final day concludes tomorrow (Sunday).

Loeb enjoyed a trouble-free day at the wheel of his C4 WRC and was locked in a thrilling inter-team tussle with his Spanish team-mate Dani Sordo for almost all of the day’s six stages.

The only exception was the final section of the day closing SS12, where Sordo slowed deliberately in order to give Citroen its pre-rally objective of a one-two placing – headed by team leader Loeb.

If the positions stay as they are through the six remaining stages, Citroen will secure the 2009 WRC manufacturers’ crown. In addition, Loeb will have done all he can ahead of a drivers’ title showdown with Mikko Hirvonen on the last round in Wales.

Sordo began the day with a lead of 1.6 seconds over Loeb, and was given the freedom by his team to drive at his own pace for most of the day. Loeb knocked him from the top spot on the second test, SS8, but he took the place back – to Loeb’s surprise – on SS9 and held it almost to the end of SS12.

At the 13.8km point in the 17km stage Sordo was 12.sec quicker than anybody else – but by the end he had dutifully dropped 3.8 seconds.

At the stage end Sordo delivered an ‘official’ explanation of the time loss through a barely concealed grin.

“It was okay, but I lost a lot of time near the end where there was a lot of gravel around – I understeered a lot and it was difficult to drive,” he said. “I’ve had a good battle with Seb today. I enjoyed it a lot in the stages, even though we didn’t drive on the limit. Tomorrow we will try and stay in the same positions.”

Loeb too was smiling as he completed the stage, securing an overnight lead of 1.5sec. “Yup I’m in the lead, but not by a lot,” he said.

“This stage was difficult, but the main thing is we got through the day okay and with no punctures. I’m very happy to be in the lead but there’s a long day still to come tomorrow. We’ll see how we do.”

BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team leader Mikko Hirvonen rounded off the day where he started it, in third place, and dropping – albeit more slowly than on Friday – behind the two drivers ahead.

From the first stage today Hirvonen knew he had little chance to get the second place he wanted here on driving alone, but pressure from the two Citroen drivers behind meant he had to keep on pushing – enough to beat both Loeb and Sordo on SS10.

“Against Citroens on tarmac it looks like third is the only place I can take,” joked Hirvonen. “It’s been a good day – better than yesterday – but it’s a bit like history repeating itself; on Friday in Spain we lose a lot, on Saturday we get closer. I couldn’t do much more and there’s still more to do for next year – both from me and the car. We’re closer though – and that’s good news.”

Norwegian Petter Solberg ended the day fourth, 22.4 seconds adrift of Hirvonen after another day of serious progress in his new C4. The 2003 World Champion traded times all day with Sebastien Ogier and rounded off the day with a stage win on SS12 – which almost reduced him to tears.

“It’s been a really good day, much, much faster than I had expected,” he said. “It’s a fast car but you have to learn to use it perfectly. I’m getting there.”

Solberg closed the gap on Hirvonen from 25.5sec to 22.4sec throughout the day, but said he hadn’t yet given up on a podium place. “It’s a long day tomorrow I took 2.2sec now (on SS12) so you never know,” he said.

“It’s going to be close tomorrow afternoon. I’ve done everything I planed to so far here. So let’s stick to it and see how we do. This rally is giving me so much confidence and that’s a big thing for me personally.”

Citroen Junior team driver Sebastien Ogier lies fifth after a confident day in his C4 WRC. The Frenchman was fastest on SS8 and SS10, but his remarkable speed on the latter damaged his tyres for the stages to follow. “It was very good day,” he said. We pushed hard this afternoon – especially on the long stage (SS10) but after that we had no option but to slow down a little.”

Jari-Matti Latvala holds sixth place, after a solid day at the wheel of his Ford Focus on a surface he admits is not his strongest. “Sixth fastest on all six stages, so we’re very consistent,” smiled Latvala. “At least we have been much quicker today than we were on Friday. I lost a lot of time in the first day and I didn’t lose as much today, so we are improving.”

Briton Matthew Wilson completed the day in seventh, with fellow Ford Focus RS WRC driver Federico Villagra in the final points winning place of eighth.

Follow this link to see the complete list of stage times. To analyse the split times click here.

source: WRC